cold and clear

[OT from cottage renovations]

today was one of those wonderfully cold and clear winter days.  the absence of snow might have made things look warmer than they were, but it didn't take much exposure to clarify the situation. 

though afternoon light is usually what lures me out, I made an effort to step outside that habit and look into the morning light.  it was almost like a mirror image:  with the lighting reversed, many of the places and items that normally capture my attention seemed unfamiliar in a backwards sort of way. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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this sycamore stands along Grove Road at the lower end of the ball field.  I have always found its nuances of shading and texture very appealing.  the way in which these trees can dispense with bark in the upper regions strikes me as odd and is a reminder of eucalyptus trees in California -- but this one doesn't have any butterflies wintering over in it. 

sycamore detail

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Q415 is a daily manifest from Cucumberland MD to Richmond VA.  today's instance of it was completely unremarkable -- your typical CSX drag freight, over tonnage and under powered; barely able to make the summit of Parr's Ridge before finally coming down this side of the hill, sliding through the Grove on its way to lower elevations and a chance to do it all over again at Franconia Hill on the RF&P Subdivision. 

I had seen this train on the model board and despite dawdling on the way down to the tracks it was still 25-30 minutes before he showed up.  I had gone out insufficiently bundled up for ambient conditions, so when the cold and its good friend the wind ganged up on me it was my own damn fault. 

Q415 passes under our historic bridge

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near the middle of the train a cut of nine molten sulphur loads made for a pleasing composition in the morning light: open rectangular railings above shaded round tanks and the neatly arrayed springs and wheelsets atop the railhead. 

Q415 going

but enough was enough:  after heading back home to warm up on hearing a westbound K800 (Baldwin FL to Chicago IL empties of the same commodity) calling signals on the radio I passed up the opportunity to head back out to try for an image of a whole trainload of empties.  surely it could have made for an interesting image but sometimes it makes sense to quit while ahead -- I had only recently restored communications with extremities such as fingertips. 

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maple leaf
along 3rd Avenue

you're going to have to decide for yourself about the composition of this image, taken of a Japanese maple along 3^rd Avenue:  the dark branch in the foreground either makes it or ruins it.  on first starting to manipulate the image I was inclined toward the former view but ended up taking the latter (obviously, else it wouldn't be on this page).  what do you think? 
use the comment link below.